I can't believe it?

I was wondering if I should even comment about this.. But I will.. Because I'm really bothered by it..And I run into similar situations often enough.. My last client yesterday. She was Im guessing about fifty years old...She was very depressed looking.. Tired looking...She told me she had fibromyalgia(how do you spell it?) . I asked her were she hurt... She said both her arms are constantly aching. And her back hurts...She made it clear that her arms were her biggest problem.. She told me that she has had six months of deep tissue massage one to two times a week and still not better..Talking to her further, she told me that she feels worse after the massages, and that they are so painful...She just wants to relax today...Someone gave her a gift certificate for a massage at the spa where I work... I did a complete trigger point scan..Found a trigger point in her left SI joint...a left side L4 spinal erector TP.. A really bad painful one in her Latissimus dorsi (edge of shoulder blade) on her left...One in her infraspinatus (another bad one)on her left. And a really bad( when I say bad, I mean sore as hell) supraspinatus TP on her right side. Also a right side pectoralis TP.. She told me nobody palpated those Latissimus, infraspinatus or supraspinatus TPs before? Long story short...I eliminated those trigger points..Wasnt painful either...She was unbelievably happy after her hour session yesterday. She couldnt believe her arms didnt hurt...... She rescheduled for another massage in four days...I will recheck her ..Im sure some of those TPs will come back..But her problem is over with...Another session or two will be about it.. Im just shocked.. All she was told by the docs was that she had fibromylagia or however you spell it, and all this massage that did nothing for six months.!!!. My gawd??? I didnt want to know who was treating her...They obviously didnt know what they were doing... I cant believe it...She is going to be well here real soon..Her problem is simple. Those people treating her in must live in some kind of fantasy world? Certainly not in reality.. So obviously easy... She had to quit because it was getting too expansive. She told me that she paid $55.00 for each massage...I keep saying it.....But this massage education system we got going better stop teaching for the tests..Cause this is the result.

Replies to This Discussion

Yes, it comes down to proper education, but I feel it also important to state that the major thing those other therapists did wrong was not even trying to understand fibromyalgia. If this women truly was suffering from Fibromyalgia, not one of those therapists would have even considered giving her a deep tissue. True fibro clients SHOULD NOT receive deep tissue. Thankfully this woman didn't actually have fibro and the real issue was TPs and good for you doing your do diligence during the consultation.

My pet peeve is these places not allowing for a proper consultation. It's become to much about the get them in and get them out philosophy that people are no longer actually being cared for. Capitalism at its very worst!

I'd have to call her Medical Doctor, Chiropractor, Physical therapist, as well. Considering everyone I see... It would be constant phone calls trying to tell people about trigger points. From what I have experienced doing this kind of work for a long time now is that the vast majority of people with chronic pain have painful trigger points causing or aggravating their pain. And its just not me saying it. Travells research indicated to her that 85% of all pain syndromes are directly caused by trigger points.. And that 95% of all pain syndromes trigger points are involved.. So almost everyone that sees me with any kind of pain problem has trigger points...And there are many many many people(clients,Patients) getting all kinds of the wrong pain therapy. Because a lot of health care providers give no time to them( trigger points) or are really aware of them in the first place, and that includes more then enough massage therapists to. A long time ago I accidentally cured a Medical Doctor of his back pain....I didn't know what I did..He didn't know what was wrong with himself .. Either did his orthopedic friends and physical therapist friend.. But my robotic beginner shiatsu massage cured him.. lol Well I know why now.. I accidentally eliminated trigger points along his spinal erectors with my shiatsu massage... Shortly after I massaged that doctor I read Myofacial Pain and Dysfunction the Trigger Point Manual by Travell and Simmons.....Ive focused on trigger points sense then. And I have more then noticed that the other health care professions, as well as many massage therapists haven't......Now thats not to say you have to know trigger points to be a good therapist, or be able to help someone with your massage work.. Because obviously when I gave that shiatsu massage I had no clue about trigger points. But if you know. You can help a lot of people, really fast.. Not everyone, but a lot. In my opinion, a great deal more time needs to be spent on the significance of trigger points in massage school.. And how to eliminate them without brutalizing the client or patient. If this career field wants recognition ..I talk all the time to a lot of people about trigger points...Its pretty much all I talk about in here too...I'm excited to go to work every day because I know that there is a very good chance that someone will come in with pain that they think they have to live with forever(doesn't matter what diagnosis they have been told either)...A very good chance...After the massage They walk out without it ,or are significantly better( at least 50%). Here is a copy of that letter...The significance of the letter is that Trigger points were unknown to everyone involved with that doctors painful condition...And all(not counting me) were highly educated health care professionals...Things haven't changed that much.

Julia Morrow said:

Her therapist obviously had never studied TPs so it didn't occur to him/her to look for them. The therapist of course should have the training, but was just ignorant of that modality. Maybe you could get the name of the therapist and contact that person, and tell him/her that you really helped the client with TP therapy, and gently suggest where the therapist could get training. I'm sure the therapist would be relieved to hear that the client is better and grateful for your suggestion.

I was luckier than most massage students. My course included 3 months of Deep Tissue followed by 3 months of NMT. But luckier still that my first instructor didn't stick to the school's curriculum: during Swedish, he introduced us to MFR, NMT, PNF--not structured teaching of these modalities, just a delicious taste of what lay ahead of us. Contrasting Scott's teaching style to other, more regimented instructors who become irate if the student strays from the instructor's formulaic routine, it's no surprise that so many leave massage school without knowing how to release a trigger point.

Beyond that, I was--am-- too inquisitive, too eager to learn to adhere to strict, stifling lesson plans. For fifteen months, I have been a full time student. But after I leave the classroom is when my real studies begin. The internet is a great learning tool. I watch youtube videos of MTs in action (some excellent, some a waste of time); I visit the websites of established experts and absorb whatever pearls of wisdom they give away for free (and they give away lots!). I am especially grateful to the good people I have met here in the Forums, who give so freely of their expertise. I thank you all. But Gordon deserves special mention. Gordon, thank you, buddy.

Regarding the fibromyalgia, although still a student, I too have encountered a diagnosed fibromyalgia patient who was cured by two NMT sessions. The first session, I treaded gently on the 18 fibro points. But near each of these exquisitely painful spots at the surface of the skin I found encircling trigger points deeper in the tissue. That first session lasted 30-40 minutes--she couldn't stand it any longer. But two days later we worked till we covered the entire body--about 2 1/2 hours. Two weeks later, we repeated the full body 2-hr session, but I found only one active trigger point, and this time, those 18 points were not tender.

Gordon really knows his stuff. Me? I'm still a student, hardly a miracle worker. But time wasn't an issue for either of us. And the client is my sister in law. She and husband moved away, but three months later she reports that she is now living a normal life--small aches and pains that come and go, but no more fibromyalgia pain. Was it true fibromyalgia? Well, her doctor said it was. Whatever it was, for three years she had been afraid to move for fear of inciting the pain.

In the 28 years of doing this work, I have only met two people that really had fibromyalgia... Usually its trigger points...For the above client... It was basically supraspinatus and infraspinatus causing all her arm pain.Look at the trigger point charts and you will see. She paid a lot of money for nothing.. And her insurance company paid way more..This situation is repeated zillions of times accross this nation.....I always , and I mean always look for trigger points...85% of the time thats the problem...15% of the time, its something else...All the MDs, Physical in that clinic know only how to treat the other 15%. Thats the way it is accross this nation... With individual exceptions ofcourse..In general... Its Trigger points.. Clearly presented and stated in Travells books. On one level its frustraighting.. But then.. I will always have work...Cause I also feel like I poses Top Secret Information.. lol Even though it isnt.

Gary W Addis said:

I was luckier than most massage students. My course included 3 months of Deep Tissue followed by 3 months of NMT. But luckier still that my first instructor didn't stick to the school's curriculum: during Swedish, he introduced us to MFR, NMT, PNF--not structured teaching of these modalities, just a delicious taste of what lay ahead of us. Contrasting Scott's teaching style to other, more regimented instructors who become irate if the student strays from the instructor's formulaic routine, it's no surprise that so many leave massage school without knowing how to release a trigger point.

Beyond that, I was--am-- too inquisitive, too eager to learn to adhere to strict, stifling lesson plans. For fifteen months, I have been a full time student. But after I leave the classroom is when my real studies begin. The internet is a great learning tool. I watch youtube videos of MTs in action (some excellent, some a waste of time); I visit the websites of established experts and absorb whatever pearls of wisdom they give away for free (and they give away lots!). I am especially grateful to the good people I have met here in the Forums, who give so freely of their expertise. I thank you all. But Gordon deserves special mention. Gordon, thank you, buddy.

Regarding the fibromyalgia, although still a student, I too have encountered a diagnosed fibromyalgia patient who was cured by two NMT sessions. The first session, I treaded gently on the 18 fibro points. But near each of these exquisitely painful spots at the surface of the skin I found encircling trigger points deeper in the tissue. That first session lasted 30-40 minutes--she couldn't stand it any longer. But two days later we worked till we covered the entire body--about 2 1/2 hours. Two weeks later, we repeated the full body 2-hr session, but I found only one active trigger point, and this time, those 18 points were not tender.

Gordon really knows his stuff. Me? I'm still a student, hardly a miracle worker. But time wasn't an issue for either of us. And the client is my sister in law. She and husband moved away, but three months later she reports that she is now living a normal life--small aches and pains that come and go, but no more fibromyalgia pain. Was it true fibromyalgia? Well, her doctor said it was. Whatever it was, for three years she had been afraid to move for fear of inciting the pain.

I think I helped. But I have only her word that she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia; she has only the doctor's word that it fit all the criteria. That first session? the 6 FM tender points of occiput area and upper back were tender as hell. I knew, not from school studies but from articles I read in M&B, to be very gentle with those points, but she said that the weight of my fingertip alone was more than she could bear. I moved out from them in broadening circles, and found clusters of trigger point arrayed in a "fan" around three of the FM points (2-3-4 TPs bordering its neighbors, but separate). A couple of them referred pain into a nearby FM tender point. I wasn't searching for a miracle cure, I was just trying to ease my sister in law's suffering.

And from what I've read, FM suddenly can go into remission all by itself and blossom again weeks, months even years later. I hope her pain never returns-- on some days even clothing hurt her, even a fan blowing air onto her skin was more than she could stand. But for right now, she isn't suffering.

To me whatever diagnosis they have really makes no difference...I hear fibromyalgia all the time.. There are even commercials on tv for fibromyalgia drugs... All I do is look for trigger points.. If I find them, I do what I can to eliminate them...And when Im able to do that. Which is most of the time now.. All their presenting symptoms go a way.. Yesterday I had a new client..The first thing she said when she was I hurt here. She had back pain.. Mostly low back. .. She was seeing another type of health care provider that said she might have fibromyalgia because she wasnt responding to his treatments.. I scanned her body and found several TPs .. SI joint, Lumbar TPs, Rhomboids and upper traps...I was able to eliminate them in a half hours time...She left pain free...She will come back in next week for a follow up..But she was very happy and I know her problem is over.. Now I cant do that on everyone all the time...But most of the time I can... Focusing on eliminating trigger points has really helped me help a lot of people that other health care providers haven't been able to help....I remember about ten years ago I had a client that I saw regularly for several weeks...With just the lightest of touch she felt pain.. That was pretty much her entire body...Nothing relieved her.. I was unable to find any trigger points because I could barely touch her...She was diagnosed with fibromalgia...

Stephen Jeffrey said:

True fibromyalgia or Myofascial pain syndrome?, we don't diagnose and even those that do can get it wrong.

Do as Gary did, by gently identifying and eradicating the worst TP's and yes you can help the very worst of cases. Session by session, you can build toward deeper work, but never during a fibro flare.

Gary, thanks for the compliment... But Im not a master.. People think I am though..But its just because I know about trigger points, and their other providers they have seen, don't. Gary W Addis said:

I was luckier than most massage students. My course included 3 months of Deep Tissue followed by 3 months of NMT. But luckier still that my first instructor didn't stick to the school's curriculum: during Swedish, he introduced us to MFR, NMT, PNF--not structured teaching of these modalities, just a delicious taste of what lay ahead of us. Contrasting Scott's teaching style to other, more regimented instructors who become irate if the student strays from the instructor's formulaic routine, it's no surprise that so many leave massage school without knowing how to release a trigger point.

Beyond that, I was--am-- too inquisitive, too eager to learn to adhere to strict, stifling lesson plans. For fifteen months, I have been a full time student. But after I leave the classroom is when my real studies begin. The internet is a great learning tool. I watch youtube videos of MTs in action (some excellent, some a waste of time); I visit the websites of established experts and absorb whatever pearls of wisdom they give away for free (and they give away lots!). I am especially grateful to the good people I have met here in the Forums, who give so freely of their expertise. I thank you all. But Gordon deserves special mention. Gordon, thank you, buddy.

Regarding the fibromyalgia, although still a student, I too have encountered a diagnosed fibromyalgia patient who was cured by two NMT sessions. The first session, I treaded gently on the 18 fibro points. But near each of these exquisitely painful spots at the surface of the skin I found encircling trigger points deeper in the tissue. That first session lasted 30-40 minutes--she couldn't stand it any longer. But two days later we worked till we covered the entire body--about 2 1/2 hours. Two weeks later, we repeated the full body 2-hr session, but I found only one active trigger point, and this time, those 18 points were not tender.

Gordon really knows his stuff. Me? I'm still a student, hardly a miracle worker. But time wasn't an issue for either of us. And the client is my sister in law. She and husband moved away, but three months later she reports that she is now living a normal life--small aches and pains that come and go, but no more fibromyalgia pain. Was it true fibromyalgia? Well, her doctor said it was. Whatever it was, for three years she had been afraid to move for fear of inciting the pain.